Reading: Reading Is An Escape From Reality

The intellectual stimulation put forth when one reads is profound. Pondering whether or not a character in a novel is valid enough to relate to conveys a sense of identity. For me, reading is an escape from reality. Reality was, and still is, a hard pill to swallow. As a child, I dealt with unimaginable thoughts and fears that would make any sane person question their psyche. I struggled with aspects in my life that most children did not think twice about. Books were my go-to. When my eyes scan over the worn pages of my favorite books, I feel I become a part of the story — a story where life seems unremarkably easy. Time and difficulties diminish when I am engrossed in a book. This escape method, however, will not prepare me for reality. Unfortunately even my favorite book will not help me in times when adversity makes its presence known. Attempting to escape reality, whether it be by books or by other means, will only cause more distress when faced head-on

Sickness also became a part of my life when I was a child. I constantly had stomach viruses and strep throat, and for a time my mother thought my newfound anxieties branched from Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections or PANDAS. Though from the words of my therapist, that was not the case. From what I can remember, I dealt with my irrational thoughts in two ways. First I entertained an obsession where I would “turn into” Wonder Woman, who I wholeheartedly looked up to as a child. When I felt uncomfortable in a situation I would turn into Wonder Women and try to forget my problems. Now I only did this at home; I was not the crazy kid who “turned into Wonder Woman” at school when I was frustrated. After that phase diminished, reading was my form of escape. In elementary and junior high school I was turning pages in books more than I was watching